Human fertility rates are declining. Although this was thought to be due to lifestyle changes and societal changes, could our environment be playing a role? Could environmental contaminants like pesticides in our food be contributing to infertility?

This study in China showed that women with high levels of organophosphate or pyrethroids exposure (common pesticides) took longer to conceive and were more likely to have infertility than couples that had lower levels of exposure.

For decades, infertility patients have been told to avoid caffeine consumption when trying to conceive and during fertility treatments. As we have previously reviewed, moderate caffeine consumption is ok, and could even help! New data is showing us that what you put in your coffee, could be more dangerous than the caffeine itself

We have previously discussed this topic: You are what you drink. This study looked at couples doing IVF and found that women who drank beverages with artificial sweeteners had lower pregnancy rates than women who did not consume these beverages. Similarly, any type of soft drink consumption (regular vs diet) was associated with worse outcomes: poor embryo development in the lab and lower pregnancy rates.

If you are doing IVF, avoid using artificial sweeteners or consuming soft drinks in order to optimize your chances of success.

Take home points:

Men and women should avoid sugary drinks when trying to conceive, but particularly if they are using IVF

Using artificial sweeteners is not necessarily a safe alternative to sugary drinks

Does anyone else remember when we first started realizing that fast food was unhealthy? I personally remember watching the documentary “Super Size Me”and being shocked; I think we all suspected that fast food wasn’t as healthy as a home-cooked meal, but few of us realized just how dangerous this food could be for our health. Documentaries like “Super Size Me” revealed the negative impact of fast food on health: significant physical and psychological negative impacts were found with regular fast food consumption. Worse yet, this documentary showed how corporations encourage poor nutrition through marketing in order to benefits its own profits.

New research now shows that fast food is particularly harmful when trying to conceive. In this study, the nutrition habits of couples trying to conceive were watched. What they found was that couples that ate the most fast food and the least fruits & vegetables took longer to conceive and were more likely to have infertility. This study also found that the effect was dose-dependent: couples that ate the most fast food (>4 times/week) had the highest risk of infertility.

Take home points:

There are many reasons why you shouldn’t eat fast food. Your fertility is one of them.

Couples often ask me: “What else can we do to make this IVF cycle successful?” The first answer, is to pick the right lab. I’m fortunate to work with an amazing group of embryologists so I encourage my patients to consider the next step: using your diet and lifestyle to stack the odds in your favor. As we have discussed before in the blog, what you eat and what you do can absolutely impact your fertility and overall health. New research demonstrates that your diet, in particular, can impact your success with IVF.

As many of my patients know, I encourage a plant-based diet to enhance your fertility naturally. The problem with many of these studies that we have previously reviewed is that people who eat a plant-based diet are more likely to be thin and the following question emerges: “Is diet really impacting your fertility or does this have to do with your weight?” A new study helps us address this question.

In this study, women who had a normal weight (BMI < 30 kg/m2) underwent IVF in Greece. Women who ate a Mediterranean diet were more likely to get pregnant and bring home a healthy child compared to women who did not eat a Mediterranean diet. Women who ate better were almost 3 times as likely to bring home a child than women who did not eat a Mediterranean diet! The results suggest that dietary modifications may help increase the chances of a successful pregnancy and delivering a live baby for women undergoing IVF treatment.

What this study doesn’t answer, however, is when these dietary changes need to be implemented in order to have the full benefits on your fertility. My advice is simple: the sooner the better. The healthier you are when you start an IVF cycle, the more likely you are to get the full benefits of diet on your fertility. However, if you have a time crunch with regards to your fertility, with diagnoses such as diminished ovarian reserve, it may not be in your best interest to delay starting treatment. Talk to your doctor for more information about what the best next steps are for you.

We have previously discussed in this blog the impact of the beverages we drink on fertility.The old saying of “You are what you eat” couldn’t be more true- what you eat absolutely impacts how we feel and our overall health.

New research is adding to this old saying- what you drink may be just as important as what you eat, when it comes to fertility. Similarly, we also discussed that the beverages you consume now can impact the health of your future children: women that drank beverages with low-calorie sweeteners are more likely to have obese children.

New research adds to these concerns. In this large study, the dietary habits of men and women were evaluated while they tried to conceive. Drinking sugary beverages was associated with decreased fertility for both men and women. Similarly, participants who had consumed the most sugary drinks (>7 servings/week) were found to have the lowest odds of fertility for both men and women.

This study looked at what couples drank during an IVF cycle and monitored their outcomes. They found that couples that drank more sugary drinks like soda did worse in IVF, when compared to couples who don’t drink sugary drinks: fewer eggs and fewer good quality embryos.

Take home points:

Men and women should avoid sugary drinks when trying to conceive, but particularly if they are using IVF

Using artificial sweeteners is not necessarily a safe alternative to sugary drinks

At the initial patient visit, I try to learn about any special dietary restrictions my patients may have. A common diet is going “low carb” in an effort to lose weight. Emerging research, however, suggests that this could be dangerous when trying to conceive.

Folic acid is a vitamin that reduces the risk of having a child with a problem with it’s spinal cord, known as a neural tube defect. Folic acid is added to many common meals, like cereal, in order to fortify the food. Women who intentionally avoid carbohydrates, thereby consuming fewer fortified foods, may not have adequate dietary intake of folic acid.

This study found that women eating low carb had significantly lower dietary intake of folic acid. Women eating low carb were 30% more likely to have an infant with a severe neural tube defect such as anencephaly or spina bifida.

What you should do:

Talk to your doctor about any special diets you have before trying to conceive

Women should take a daily prenatal vitamin in addition to having a well-balanced diet while trying to conceive

A common question asked in a new fertility evaluation is: “Which prenatal vitamin is best?” We have previously tried to provide some guidance in choosing the best vitamin. The ingredient list in your prenatal vitamin needs to be considered.

In particular, iodine is an often-overlooked but extremely important component that should be considered in a prenatal vitamin. Iodine is a mineral used by the body to regulate metabolism; it is also very important for brain development in children. It is often found in seafood, iodized salt, dairy, and some fruits and vegetables.

A new study shows that women who have low iodine levels take longer to get pregnant than women who have normal iodine levels.